2400 Fahrenheit

Volcano, Hawaii

“You know what’s amazing? Everybody has a drinking cup, but maybe only one out of a thousand, or maybe only one out of 10,000 has watched the technique. Glass blowing, woodworking, and ceramics are the three fundamentals of functional craft, and it’s shocking how many people have never witnessed the design. We certainly all depend on these things. Since so few people have seen such a process, my wife and I decided to open up our own studio to share this experience with everyone.”

Mortara was born in Honolulu in 1960 and was first introduced to glass blowing as a student in high school. He has been working with this particular medium for over 24 years. In 1980 Mortara joined the glass blowing department at Punahou School as their Technical Assistant. He completed his degree in architecture, with a minor in fine art, from the University of Hawaii.

Several years later, he shifted away from his architectural and construction endeavors to focus on working with glass. In the summer of 1998, he began the construction of his new glass studio on the upper slopes of Kilauea volcano on the island of Hawaii. Mortara built his glass blowing studio and gallery, 2400 Fahrenheit Art Glass, in Volcano Village, where he and his wife Misato Mochizuki Mortara, currently work.

As a full time glass artists, the couple divide their time between the production of a limited-edition vessel series and one-of-a-kind sculptural pieces. Their glass is featured in private collections throughout the U.S. and Europe, and in the permanent collections of the Hawaii State Foundation of Art, and The Contemporary Museum of Art, Honolulu.